Sunday, February 23, 2014

Mass fish/birds/animal die-offs across the Earth

February 17, 2014 - EARTH - The following constitutes the latest incidents of mass animal, bird and fish die-offs across the Earth:
10,000 Livestock Have Died Due To Drought In Chulucanas, Peru.
Cattle killed drought in the north of the country, while also affecting rice crops and fruits.

In the province of Morropón reported 10,000 head of cattle dead. The rivers, streams and canals in the valley are dry. Ranchers are finishing their cows to not see them die of thirst. In San Lorenzo warn potential loss of large paddy season.

A real live drama farmers in the district of La Matanza, Province Morropón-CHulucanas, where the numbers of dead livestock because of drought totaled 10,000 animals, including cows, goats, sheep and pigs, which are the engine of the economy in this region of Alto Piura valley.  This was announced by the mayor of this town, Nelson Reyes Mine, after receiving the final report of the 18 associations of farmers in the area calling for an immediate declaration of emergency, to receive prompt assistance.  The loss report indicates that it is 2,500 cattle, 2,500 sheep, 3,500 goats and 1,500 pigs.  "To this day it does not rain in the Upper Piura increasing drought damage with fallen stock and great loss of permanent and temporary crops.  The rivers, streams and canals in the valley are dry without a drop of water more aggravating problems for livestock and agricultural sector no longer know what to do waiting for the support come soon, "said the mayor.  While waiting for the support, farmers are in need of selling their cows up to 500 soles, despite the normal price reached to 1,500 soles, in order to not see them die undernourished in the field. 

Rice shortage  
The situation is no different in the San Lorenzo Valley because it warns of the potential loss of large paddy season due to lack of water. This would lead to an economic crisis for small producers as well as shortages in cereal markets.  According to the chairman of the Rice Producers of Valle San Lorenzo (Tambogrande), Jorge Saavedra Burnet, this situation would require the importation of rice, to reduce the deficit would have on the domestic market, as the drought has also affected the crop in the valleys of Lambayeque and La Libertad.  He also said that the price of rice would double to strong demand. He explained that in a normal year the cost of 1 kg of paddy is S /. 1.00. However, in a dry year like this, the price would reach S /. 2.00.  The manager of the Board Members of San Lorenzo (JUSAL), Alfonso Castillo Burnet said that 4000 is over 600 acres that would stop planting by water crisis. And with that over 640,000 wages would be lost. 

Proposals  
Before it said that one of the solutions to medium term would be to establish a complementary campaign, where rice would be replaced by other products such as corn and beans, if the reservoir of San Lorenzo, capable of storing 60 Million Cubic Meters (MMC) water. Currently only 13 MMC.  Otherwise we will choose to continue storing the liquid element to obtain a considerable amount and a girl paddy season 2000 600 acres midyear is put in place.  "With cuts of 10 and 12 days we have planned we hope to get enough water to prioritize sensitive rice and fruit. Otherwise we will have to wait until May, where more water reaches the reservoir to make a decision, "said Castillo Burnet.  However, the problem extends. La Leche Valley already suffers from thirst for districts Resume, Illimo, Jayanca, Zazape and San Isidro, who have already lost almost 3000 hectares of maize, lentils and other legumes, reported vice chairman of users that valley Juan Francisco Peche. The Republic came to the Milk River is now a desert area, damaging nearly 4000 farmers.  Arequipa also trembles before a drought. In Camana and La Joya fear is latent as a week without water involve the loss of 30% of their crops. "Water shortage is a national problem that must be addressed," says the president of the Agricultural Society of Arequipa, Hernán Vela. 

Immediate effects of drought  
According to the chairman of the Rice Producers of San Lorenzo, Alfonso Castillo Burner is not reversed the situation "an economic crisis for small producers, as well as shortages in the market and therefore cause an increase in the prices of several products. "  Specialist agricultural issues, Reynaldo Trinidad, estimated as of July be observed with speculation rice prices, sugar and some fruit.  In La Libertad also endangers the planting season for rice and corn if not enough rain falls, because now there are intermittent rainfall, said Luis Tolentino, regional manager of Agriculture. - La Republica. [Translated]


Hundreds Of Cattle Found Dead From "Mystery Illness" In Misiones Province, Argentina.
After deaths of cattle, SENASA sampled in the southern provincial  A pathologist National Agrifood Health and Quality (SENASA) reached Apostles for the cause for which they died more than 500 animals  Saturday February 15, 2014 | 7:28  For answers. | Concepción de la Sierra, Tres Capones and Apostles affected.  Dr. Hector Sanguinetti, pathologist of the National Service for Agrifood Health and Quality (SENASA) Apostles arrived and toured the area to sample aimed to bring clarity on the causes of mortality of bovines in the South, affecting municipalities of Concepción de la Sierra, Three Apostles and Capones and more than 500 head of cattle were killed. 

In the early hours at the offices of Apostles SENASA members of the commission set up last week and was responsible for further investigation, headed by Mayor Mario Vialey with Dr. Juan Boyesuk, head of the local branch of SENASA, veterinarians met in July Frettes (Directorate General of Livestock of the Province), Alexander Tkachuk (Food Science department head) and Martin Ramos, Alfredo Friedlmeier agronomist (Inta delegation Apostles) and technical Mabeliana Silva (Ministry of Agriculture's Office).   This group of people and other partners were divided into three crews, two of which were commissioned to carry out statistics in the area, collecting data settlers, such as livestock numbers, immunization schedule, number of heads per hectare first symptoms of disease.   

The last group was headed by Sanguinetti and Boyesuk, who along with his colleagues went to field producer Ramón Rodríguez, where samples of blood, mucus and feces were extracted, among others, a number of animals for laboratory analysis.  Then proceeded to perform the autopsy of a cow and the removal of organs, also for studies Late various teams met to evaluate the work done.  Press conference last night waiting for the collected preliminary data.  It also announced the shipment of samples to the laboratories of SENASA and private, the latter at the request of the settlers affected. -Territorio Digital. [Translated]


A still unknown evil killed hundreds of cattle in the south of Misiones. Different veterinarians attended the producers were unable to determine the cause of the plague and now requires that the State sends specialists to investigate.

"Cows largar start foaming at the mouth, get as crazy and run over people and then begin to dry inside as to death despite grazing normally," said Juan Zanek, who already has lost 70 animals by the strange box.

The rancher says that animals in general were concerned with good health status. "No veterinarian was able to tell me what's going on," he said. And in recent days also found the birth of several blind calves. "I think it might be a virus or something, but do not understand how he could not yet determine what is causing the deaths," he complained.

Juan Manulak, another farmer in the area, said some veterinarians blame the "Mary mole", a yellow flowering plant that usually populate the fields of southern missionary, "but this shrub always existed and the cows did not die. And there are still some places where Mary is not the mole and no loss of animals, "he explained.

Livestock Undersecretary of Misiones, Rodolfo Jaquet, admitted that "there is no definitive diagnosis" on the cause of the deaths of the animals, but did not rule out the case of anthrax. "High temperatures, lack of vaccination, drought, may have activated some anthrax spores in the fields," he ventured. - Nuevo Diario Web. [Translated]


Hundreds Of Seabirds  Wash Up Along Southwest Coast Of England.
Animal charities are caring from some of the hundreds of guillemots, razorbills and puffins that
have washed up in Hampshire, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall in the past week.

Hundreds of seabirds - some dead and others covered in oil - have been washed ashore in south-west England.  The RSPB believes most of the deaths were a "sad but natural occurrence" after the recent stormy weather.  In Devon, about 40 puffins, guillemots and razorbills were found at Thurlstone, while others have been reported from Hampshire to Cornwall.  Some of the "pitiful" oiled birds are being cared for at the South Devon Seabird Trust in Teignmouth.  The trust's founder, Jean Bradford, told BBC News: "It's a catastrophe and I think with everything else that's going on with people, the birds and other animals have been overlooked a little bit."

Mrs Bradford said the oiled and storm-blown birds that had been rescued were in a "pitiful state".  "Even if these birds get to shore, very often it's the case that they're washed back out to sea by the enormous waves that are coming in.  "By the time they reach another beach, perhaps at low tide, many of them are too ill to be saved."  A number of birds were rescued from Chesil Beach in Dorset earlier in the week and taken to the RSPCA West Hatch animal centre in Taunton.

Both the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Environment Agency said there had been no reports of major pollution incidents, leading the RSPB to conclude the storms that have battered the South West were responsible.  "On Thursday we had reports of 137 birds - some of them oiled - and although any number is regrettable, it's not completely unexpected," RSPB spokesman Tony Whitehead said.  "We think what's happening is a sad, but naturally occurring event, off the back of really bad weather.  "The birds become exhausted, they're tossed up and down by giant waves and sometimes they get covered in oil."  The RSPB said anyone finding beached seabirds should not attempt to rescue them, but should contact the RSPCA.  Last year wildlife charities in south and south-west England dealt with thousands of seabirds affected by a spill of polyisobutene (PIB) - a chemical used as a lubricant in ships' engines. - BBC.


Thousands Of Birds Found Dead, Due To Avian Flu, In Trenggalek Regency, Indonesia.
A fresh bird-flu outbreak has hit Trenggalek regency, East Java, where thousands of birds were found dead in Pakis village, Durenan district. Tests have confirmed the deaths were due to infection by avian flu (H5N1).
“Laboratory test results on 20 samples of bird carcasses confirm they were bird-flu virus positive,” head of Trenggalek Animal Health Center Budi Satriawan said on Tuesday as quoted by Antara news agency.

Budi explained that the virus that killed the birds was identical to that which had infected chickens and other poultry within the area, and was potentially harmful to humans.

Following the test results, Budi issued a recommendation letter ordering a mass cull and destruction of all poultry in the affected farm.

“The rules are clear. Birds that are still alive must be killed and burned,” Budi said.

In the midst of eliminating thousands of birds, Budi added that his team, after further investigation, would also cull other poultry farms to be on the safe side.

Poultry within a 200-meter radius of the original location where the bird flu virus was detected will be vaccinated and disinfectant would be sprayed on all farms, poultry and otherwise.

Previously thousands of birds died in Pakis village, Durenan regency. A total of 7,000 birds were culled following that outbreak. - Jakarta Post.


MILLIONS Of Dead Fish Wash Ashore On Lake Manyas, Balikesir, Turkey.


Balikesir is linked to Manyas Lake 'is located in the coastal village of Hammam millions of carp, roach, pike and Israeli carp fry the fish hit the coast. Fish fry to hit the shore has caused concern. Lake manyas 's millions of fish dying hitting the shore, the lake shore in the village of Hammam who was greeted with surprise by sitting. The dead fish, carp, roach, pike and Israel were determined to be of carp fry.

Manyas Governor Mehmet Erdem, where the fish waste from the District of Food Agriculture and Livestock Department officials taking samples were sent for analysis after analysis to be made of the exact cause of death will be clarified, explained. While engaged in fishing in the village of Hammam Hayrullah Selvi, reeds and sheltered areas for fish spawning sites, said: said:

"Eggs left in the period when irrigation canal sufficient water were available but lack of rainfall and Ergili regulator cover are open because of the water went to the sea. Manyas Lake 's water level drop caused. lake water by lowering this time on irrigation water came, and unfortunately millions of young fish perished . "

In order to determine the cause of death of the fish began to research. - Sondakika. [Translated]


Thousands Of Fish Have Died "Due To Environmental Factors" In Lampung, Indonesia.
Thousands of grouper aquaculture in waters kramba Rarem Dam Way, Village Abung Pekurun, North Lampung, died on Thursday (13/2). As a result, farmers suffered losses of tens of millions of dollars. Aquatic environmental factors in the area suspected to be the cause of thousands of cages grouper stress and die.

Head of Division (Head) Monitoring and Fisheries Resources, Fisheries North Lampung, Amirsyah say, mass death in cultured grouper kramba have been studied in laboratory testing of quarantine stations, quality control and safety of fishery products Lampung first class marine and fisheries ministry .

Based on lab testing. No.0055/1.11U/KI-PJG/I/2014, which published water quality conditions in the waters of the dam in the category of normal for cultivation, with PH, 7, solute concentration for NO2, 0, phosphate, 0.05, and Al Kalin, 18.5. While the seeds of disease were found to infect fish, caused by a virus attack rate refers to the results of lab tests. lightweight category instead outbreak.

"Concluded the cause of dead fish in the waters of the dam due to the stress of going on the environmental conditions around kramba. Regarding deaths from the disease, may be indicated against the odds. "Said Amirsyah.

Before getting counseling and explanation of the death of the fish, the grouper farmers in Dam Way Rarem, Pekurun Abung Village, District Abung Pekurun, no thanks to the mass mortality of grouper, and to recover damages on employers stone quarrying and sand mining, over alleged environmental pollution by cause the death of fish. - Poskota News.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Confirmed: DNA from genetically modified crops can be transferred into humans who eat them

By Arjun Walia via Collective Evolution, 9 Jan 2014


In a new study published in the peer reviewed Public Library of Science (PLOS), researchers emphasize that there is sufficient evidence that meal-derived DNA fragments carry complete genes that can enter into the human circulation system through an unknown mechanism. (0) I wonder if the scientists at these biotech corporations have already identified this method? In one of the blood samples the relative concentration of plant DNA is higher than the human DNA.  The study was based on the analysis of over 1000 human samples from four independent studies.PLOS is an open access, well respected peer-reviewed scientific journal that covers primary research from disciplines within science and medicine.  It’s great to see this study published in it, confirming what many have been suspecting for years.

When it comes to genetically modified crops and foods, we really have no idea of what the long term effects will be on the public. The very first commercial sale of genetically modified foods was only twenty years ago in the year 1994. There is no possible way that our health authorities can test all possible combinations on a large enough population, over a long enough period of time to be able to say with certainty that they are harmless. Geneticist David Suzuki recently expressed his concern, saying that human beings are part of a “massive genetic experiment” over many years, as thousands of people continue to consume GMO’s, and it makes sense.


Advances in genome science over the past few years have revealed that organisms can share their genes. Prior to this, it had been thought that genes were shared only between individual members of a species through reproduction. Geneticists usually followed the inheritance of genes in what they would call a ‘vertical’ fashion, such as breeding a male and female -you follow their offspring and continue down the road from there. Today, scientists recognize that genes are shared not only among the individual members of a species, but also among members of different species.
“Our bloodstream is considered to be an environment well separated from the outside world and the digestive tract. According to the standard paradigm large macromolecules consumed with food cannot pass directly to the circulatory system. During digestion proteins and DNA are thought to be degraded into small constituents, amino acids and nucleic acids, respectively, and then absorbed by a complex active process and distributed to various parts of the body through the circulation system. Here, based on the analysis of over 1000 human samples from four independent studies, we report evidence that meal-derived DNA fragments which are large enough to carry complete genes can avoid degradation and through an unknown mechanism enter the human circulation system. In one of the blood samples the relative concentration of plant DNA is higher than the human DNA. The plant DNA concentration shows a surprisingly precise log-normal distribution in the plasma samples while non-plasma (cord blood) control sample was found to be free of plant DNA.” (0)
It’s not like a human being mates with an apple, banana or a carrot plant and exchanges genes. What biotechnology and biotech corporations like Monsanto have done, is they have allowed for the transfer of genes from one to the other without any regard for the biological limitations, or constraints. The problem with this is that it is based on very bad science. The conditions and biological ‘rules’ that apply to vertical gene transfer, at least those that we are aware of, do not necessarily apply to horizontal gene transfer. Biotech science today is based on the assumption that the principles governing the inheritance of genes are the same when we move genes horizontally as they are when they are moved vertically. It just goes to show that GMO’s should be subjected to much more experimentation and rigorous research before we continue to consume them.
How can our governing health authorities approve these as safe? It’s almost as if they told us they were safe, and we just believed them without questioning it. We seem to be a very gullible race, but things are changing and more are starting to question the world around them.
“One small mutation in a human being can determine so much, the point is when you move a gene, one gene, one tiny gene out of an organism into a different one you  completely change its context. There is no way to predict how it’s going to behave and what the outcome will be. We think that we design these life forms, but it’s like taking the Toronto orchestra prepared to play a Beethoven symphony and then you take some random drummers from “here” and flip them in with the Toronto symphony  and you say play music. What comes out is going to be something very very different. Publicists say that there is good intention behind GMOs, but the fact of the matter is it’s driven by money.” – David Suzuki
I personally believe the intentions go beyond money, but that’s another story.
It’s also pretty clear that DNA from food can and does end up in animal tissues and the milk products that people eat. (4)(5)
There are studies that show when humans or animals digest genetically modified foods, the artificially created genes transfer into and alter the character of the beneficial bacteria in the intestine. Researchers report that microbes found in the small bowel of people with ilestomy are capable of acquiring and harboring DNA sequences from GM plants.(1) Genetically modified crops have infiltrated animal feed since 1996, and it’s normal for them to have a complete GM diet. Studies have linked GMO animal feed to  severe stomach inflammation and enlarged uteri in pigs.
It’s also important to note that gene transfer among genetically engineered agricultural crops and surrounding native species has given rise to a highly resistant species called super weeds. According to the world health organization, gene transfer and the movement of genes from GM plants into conventional crops or related species may have an effect on food safety and food security. “This risk is real, as was shown when traces of maize type which was only approved for feed use appeared in maize products from human consumption in the United States.” (3)
The truth is, genetic engineers have never taken the reality of gene transfer into consideration when they produce these things and introduce them into the environment. As a result, we are now starting to see the consequences of genes that are engineered, particularly how they spread and alter other organisms in various environments. Watrud et al (2004) found that the herbicide-resistance transgene spread via pollen to an area up to 21 km beyond the control area perimeter and had pollinated wild creeping bentgrass.(2)
Prior to this year, governments concluded that transfer of DNA from GM crops/foods is unlikely to occur. Now we can see that they are wrong, or perhaps they had knowledge of this already? Regardless of the fact that DNA from GM foods can be transferred to humans and animals, very little is still known today and what is known does not look good. There are studies linking GMO’s and pesticides to various ailments. We’ve presented and written about them on our website numerous times, this is another article to add to the growing amount of evidence to suggest we need to halt the production of GMO’s until we conclusively know that they are safe for human consumption.
It’s not a mystery why most countries around the world have completely banned GMO’s.
 SOURCES:
Lipton, H Bruce, The Biology of Belief. United States: Hay House INC. 2006

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

More Signs Of A Magnetic Polar Migration - The Jet Stream Is Changing Direction, The Dramatic Shift Of Air Flow Could Lead To Longer And Harsher Winters!

February 17, 2014 - EARTH - The fast-moving river of air that controls weather over Northern Europe and North America is undergoing a dramatic shift that could lead to harsher winters.

The Northern Hemisphere's jet stream is a fast-moving belt of westerly winds that traverses the lower layers
of the atmosphere. Experts believe it is taking a meandering path causing weather patterns to get 'stuck'.


Scientists believe the jet stream which girdles Earth is increasingly taken a longer, meandering path causing weather patterns to become ‘stuck’.

This could result in longer and harsher winters over North America and northern Europe, according to researchers in Chicago.

 The jet stream is a ribbon of high altitude, high-speed wind in northern latitudes that blows from west to east.

It is formed when the cold Arctic air clashes with warmer air from further south. The greater the difference in temperature, the faster the jet stream moves.

According to Jennifer Francis, a climate expert at Rutgers University, the Arctic air has warmed in recent years as a result of melting polar ice caps.

This means there is now less of a difference in temperatures when it hits air from lower latitudes.

‘The jet stream is a very fast moving river of air over our head,’ she said on Saturday at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

This image shows a storm passing over Britain on the jet stream last week. The jet stream is formed when the cold Arctic air clashes with warmer air from further south. The greater the difference in temperature, the faster the jet stream moves.


‘But over the past two decades the jet stream has weakened. This is something we can measure,’ she said.

As a result, instead of circling the Earth in the far north, the jet stream has begun to meander, like a river heading off course.

This has brought chilly Arctic weather further south than normal and warmer temperatures north. Perhaps most disturbingly, it remains in place for longer periods of time.

The U.S. is currently enduring an especially bitter winter, with the midwestern and southern states experiencing unusually low temperatures.

In contrast, far northern regions like Alaska are going through an unusually warm winter this year.

EXPERT CLAIMS GLOBAL WARMING DID NOT CAUSE RECENT STORMS
One of the Met Office’s senior experts claims there is no link between global warming and the storms that have battered U.S. and the UK.

Mat Collins, a professor in climate systems at Exeter University, said the storms have been driven by the jet stream  which has been ‘stuck’ further south than usual.

Professor Collins said: ‘There is no evidence that global warming can cause the jet stream to get stuck in the way it has this winter. If this is due to climate change, it is outside our knowledge.’

Professor Collins is also a senior adviser for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). His statement appears to contradict Met Office chief scientist Dame Julia Slingo.

Last weekend, she said ‘all  the evidence suggests that climate change has a role to  play’ in the storms.

Professor Collins made clear that he believes it is likely global warming could lead to higher rainfall totals, because a warmer atmosphere can hold more water. But he said this has nothing to do with the storm conveyor belt.


This suggests ‘that weather patterns are changing,’ Professor Francis said. ‘We can expect more of the same and we can expect it to happen more frequently.’

Temperatures in the Arctic have been rising ‘two to three times faster than the rest of the planet,’ said James Overland, a weather expert with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

 Professor Francis added that it is premature to blame humans for these changes.

‘Our data to look at this effect is very short and so it is hard to get very clear signal,’ she said.

‘But as we have more data I do think we will start to see the influence of climate change.’

The meandering jet steam phenomenon, sometimes called ‘Santa's Revenge’, remains a controversial idea.

‘There is evidence for and against it,’ said Mark Serreze, director of the National Snowland Ice Data Centre in Boulder, Colorado.

This photograph shows waves crashing into Southsea in Hampshire on Friday night. Scientists believe
changes to the jet stream could create permanent harsher winters.

But he said rising Arctic temperatures are directly linked to melting ice caps.

‘The sea ice cover acts as a lid which separates the ocean from a colder atmosphere,’ Mr Serreze told the conference.

But if the lid is removed, then warmth contained in the water rises into the atmosphere.

This warming trend and the shifting jet stream will have a dire impact on agriculture, especially in the farm-rich middle-latitudes in the U.S..

‘We are going to see changes in patterns of precipitation, of temperatures that might be linked to what is going on in the far north,’ said Mr Serreze.

The main impact on agriculture and livestock will not come from small temperature changes, but rather from temperature extremes and the weather patterns that hold them in place for longer periods of time. - Daily Mail.

Monday, February 3, 2014

EXTREME WEATHER ANOMALIES: The Global Food Crisis - Severe Drought Has U.S. West Fearing The Worst And New Reports States That U.S. Cattle Herd At Lowest Number Since 1951!

February 02, 2014 - UNITED STATES - The punishing drought that has swept California is now threatening the state’s drinking water supply.

A once-submerged car at a California reservoir. Jim Wilson/The New York Times


With no sign of rain, 17 rural communities providing water to 40,000 people are in danger of running out within 60 to 120 days. State officials said that the number was likely to rise in the months ahead after the State Water Project, the main municipal water distribution system, announced on Friday that it did not have enough water to supplement the dwindling supplies of local agencies that provide water to an additional 25 million people. It is first time the project has turned off its spigot in its 54-year history.

State officials said they were moving to put emergency plans in place. In the worst case, they said drinking water would have to be brought by truck into parched communities and additional wells would have to be drilled to draw on groundwater. The deteriorating situation would likely mean imposing mandatory water conservation measures on homeowners and businesses, who have already been asked to voluntarily reduce their water use by 20 percent.
“Every day this drought goes on we are going to have to tighten the screws on what people are doing” said Gov. Jerry Brown, who was governor during the last major drought here, in 1976-77.
During the past 7-days, an amplified ridge dominated weather conditions across the western third of the contiguous U.S. (CONUS), while a broad trough prevailed over the central and eastern thirds of the CONUS. Early in the period, two distinct low pressure centers and two cold fronts consolidated into one potent winter storm near the mid-Atlantic coast. This storm system brought significant snowfall to the northern mid-Atlantic region and the Northeast, with amounts generally ranging from 6-14 inches, though some areas had less accumulation, while others reported more. The remainder of the period was dominated by a series of fast-moving, clipper-type systems, which brought bitter cold arctic air to most of the central and eastern lower 48 states. Maximum temperatures during this period from the Upper Mississippi Valley eastward across the Great Lakes to interior portions of the northern and central Atlantic states climbed into the 30’s and 40’s, while minimum temperatures ranged from near zero to about 30 degrees below zero F. Precipitation was largely confined to the Great Lakes, the Northeast, and the Texas coast, though amounts were mostly in the 0.5-1.5 inch range (liquid equivalent). The West in general remained relatively mild and dry during the past 7-days.

This latest development has underscored the urgency of a drought that has already produced parched fields, starving livestock, and pockets of smog.

“We are on track for having the worst drought in 500 years,” said B. Lynn Ingram, a professor of earth and planetary sciences at the University of California, Berkeley.

Already the drought, technically in its third year, is forcing big shifts in behavior. Farmers in Nevada said they had given up on even planting, while ranchers in Northern California and New Mexico said they were being forced to sell off cattle as fields that should be four feet high with grass are a blanket of brown and stunted stalks. 

Fishing and camping in much of California has been outlawed, to protect endangered salmon and guard against fires. Many people said they had already begun to cut back drastically on taking showers, washing their car and watering their lawns.

Rain and snow showers brought relief in parts of the state at the week’s end — people emerging from a movie theater in West Hollywood on Thursday evening broke into applause upon seeing rain splattering on the sidewalk — but they were nowhere near enough to make up for record-long dry stretches, officials said.

Anthony Moura, a rancher, ignited propane and pumped it into holes to kill the gophers that kill alfalfa on his ranch.
Mr. Moura usually floods his fields to irrigate and eliminate the pocket gophers.  
Max Whittaker for The New York Times


The dry Pitt Dam in Lovelock, Nev. Max Whittaker for The New York Times


A once-submerged car was visible at the bottom of the Almaden Reservoir in California. State officials said
that in the worst case, they would truck drinking water into parched communities and drill additional
wells to draw on groundwater. 
Jim Wilson/The New York Times

“I have experienced a really long career in this area, and my worry meter has never been this high,” said Tim Quinn, executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies, a statewide coalition. “We are talking historical drought conditions, no supplies of water in many parts of the state. My industry’s job is to try to make sure that these kind of things never happen. And they are happening.”

Officials are girding for the kind of geographical, cultural and economic battles that have long plagued a part of the country that is defined by a lack of water: between farmers and environmentalists, urban and rural users, and the northern and southern regions of this state. 

“We do have a politics of finger-pointing and blame whenever there is a problem,” said Mr. Brown. “And we have a problem, so there is going to be a tendency to blame people.” President Obama called him last week to check on the drought situation and express his concern.

Tom Vilsack, secretary of the federal Agriculture Department, said in an interview that his agency’s ability to help farmers absorb the shock, with subsidies to buy food for cattle, had been undercut by the long deadlock in Congress over extending the farm bill, which finally seemed to be resolved last week.

Mr. Vilsack called the drought in California a “deep concern,” and a warning sign of trouble ahead for much of the West.


“That’s why it’s important for us to take climate change seriously,” he said. “If we don’t do the research, if we don’t have the financial assistance, if we don’t have the conservation resources, there’s very little we can do to help these farmers.”

The crisis is unfolding in ways expected and unexpected. Near Sacramento, the low level of streams has brought out prospectors, sifting for flecks of gold in slow-running waters. To the west, the heavy water demand of growers of medical marijuana — six gallons per plant per day during a 150-day period — is drawing down streams where salmon and other endangered fish species spawn.

“Every pickup truck has a water tank in the back,” said Scott Bauer, a coho salmon recovery coordinator with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “There is a potential to lose whole runs of fish.”

Without rain to scrub the air, pollution in the Los Angeles basin, which has declined over the past decade, has returned to dangerous levels, as evident from the brown-tinged air. Homeowners have been instructed to stop burning wood in their fireplaces. 

In the San Joaquin Valley, federal limits for particulate matter were breached for most of December and January. Schools used flags to signal when children should play indoors.

State park rangers burned weeds on the exposed lake bed of the Rye Patch Reservoir in Nevada, which was
at 3.5 percent capacity amid a drought that has caused the worst water shortage the region has faced
in more than a century.  
Max Whittaker for The New York Times


Darrell Pursel, whose family has owned a Nevada ranch since 1863, said he could not remember a drought so bad.
Unless it rained a lot, he added, he would not do any planting. 
Max Whittaker for The New York Times

“One of the concerns is that as concentrations get higher, it affects not only the people who are most susceptible, but healthy people as well,” said Karen Magliano, assistant chief of the air quality planning division of the state’s Air Resources Board.

The impact has been particularly severe on farmers and ranchers. “I have friends with the ground torn out, all ready to go,” said Darrell Pursel, who farms just south of Yerington, Nev. “But what are you going to plant? At this moment, it looks like we’re not going to have any water. Unless we get a lot of rain, I know I won’t be planting anything.”

The University of California Cooperative Extension held a drought survival session last week in Browns Valley, about 60 miles north of Sacramento, drawing hundreds of ranchers in person and online. “We have people coming from six or seven hours away,” said Jeffrey James, who ran the session.

Dan Macon, 46, a rancher in Auburn, Calif., said the situation was “as bad as I have ever experienced. Most of our range lands are essentially out of feed.”

With each parched sunrise, a sense of alarm is rising amid signs that this is a drought that comes along only every few centuries. Sacramento had gone 52 days without water, and Albuquerque had gone 42 days without rain or snow as of Saturday. 

The snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, which supplies much of California with water during the dry season, was at just 12 percent of normal last week, reflecting the lack of rain or snow in December and January. 

“When we don’t have rainfall in our biggest two months, you really are starting off bad,” said Dar Mims, a meteorologist with the Air Resources Board.

Even as officials move into action, people who have lived through droughts before — albeit none as severe as this — said they were doing triage in their gardens (water the oak tree, not the lawn) and taking classic “stop-start-stop-start” shower.

Jacob Battersby, a producer in Oakland, said he began cutting back even before the voluntary restrictions were announced. 

“My wife and I both enjoy gardening,” he wrote in an email. “ ‘Sorry, plants. You will be getting none to drink this winter.’ ” - NY Times.


Reports States That U.S. Cattle Herd At Lowest Number Since 1951.
The lingering effects of drought across the Great Plains in recent years have led to another decrease in the U.S. cattle herd. 

The National Agricultural Statistics Service reports that the U.S. inventory of cattle and calves totaled 87.7 million animals as of Jan. 1. That was down by about 1.6 million cattle, or 2 percent, compared with this time last year. 

The agency says this is the lowest January inventory since 1951. 

Dr. Nancy Martin, a veterinarian, spoke to ranchers about keeping their herds healthy, during a Cooperative Extension drought survival session in Browns Valley, Calif., last week. Jason Henry for The New York Times


At the drought workshop, cattle ranchers examined an alternative type of feed.  Jason Henry for The New York Times


The carcass of a wild horse in the Nevada desert.  Max Whittaker for The New York Times


The drought, technically in its third year, is forcing shifts in behavior. Ranchers said they were being forced
to sell cattle as fields, normally with four feet of grass, were blankets of brown and stunted stalks. 

Max Whittaker for The New York Times


A bright spot was a 2 percent increase in young, female cattle retained for breeding. One expert says that factor could allow the herd's seven-year contraction to stabilize. 

Totals in Texas, the nation's leading cattle producer, decreased 4 percent. 

The January report had been anxiously awaited because the agency didn't issue a report in July due to sequestration. - AP.